


Free! AU stories

by Vault_Emblem



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Co-Stars AU, Librarian AU, M/M, Other tags to be added, Sherlock AU, werewolves au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-15 18:30:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5795335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vault_Emblem/pseuds/Vault_Emblem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just some short stories settled in various AU requested on my tumblr page.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Co-stars AU, Sourin

\- So, tomorrow is the big day-, Rin said, after taking a sip of a famous Italian wine.

\- Yes-, Sousuke answered.

They were in an expensive restaurant, on a “business meeting”: the next day, the two famous stars Rin Matsuoka and Sousuke Yamazaki would have filmed a very important scene for a new movie, so they were hanging out to lose some tension.

That was only an excuse, in fact, they knew each other very well from a long time, and they just wanted to spend some time together, remembering the old times and daydreaming about their next success, without the presence of the filmmaker, the managers or any other person.

\- Are you ready?-, Rin asked, grinning in the same way he used to do when they were in high-school and they were about to prank someone.

\- Always-, replied Sousuke, before something caught his attention.

Outside the big window there was a paparazzi who was watching them, but he was concentrated on Rin, so he hasn’t noticed that he had been spotted.

He grinned, and he turned back to his friend.

\- Hey, Rin, do you want to do something fun?-, he said.

\- What?-, the redhead asked, showing interest.

\- Don’t look, but there’s a paparazzi outside who is looking for us, let’s screw up with him-, he proposed, careful to not look suspicious.

The other agreed; he hadn’t done something like that since a lot of time ago. It was going to be fun and it would have made people talk about them and, by extension, the movie.

It was the best kind of publicity they could have ever done.

 

However Rin wasn’t prepared, at all, when Sousuke grabbed his jacket, pulled him closer and kissed him.

It was just a little peck, but enough to make some people in the room gasp.

When they separated, Sousuke looked in direction of the paparazzi; he was surprised too, but he seemed to have taken a picture of the moment. Good, he was sure that he would have seen it in almost every gossip magazine the next day and that though made him chuckle.

On the other hand, Rin was speechless. He tried to internalize what just happened: he had just been kissed by his friend and colleague.

Was that the funny thing that he had in mind? Well, he didn’t find it so pleasant, even if he felt odd remembering how his lips felt against the other’s.

“Damn you, Sousuke”, he thought, “tomorrow I will make you pay for this”.


	2. Librarian AU, Makorin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had just taken place behind the big desk when he saw a familiar face: it was a devoted customer, a guy with red hair and dangerously sharp teeth. He knew his name very well, because he had checked his ID card multiple times, and it was Rin Matsuoka.

It was unusual for Makoto to arrive at the library at such late hour, but he couldn’t come earlier because he was helping his brother with the transfer.

“It seems yesterday that he was born, and now he has a house on his own. Oh god, I sound like an old man”, he though, shaking his head.

He lived on his own too, but he liked to spend time more at the library where he worked than in his own house. He couldn’t deny it, he loved his job, from being surrounded by books in complete silence to helping people to choose what to read and talking to them.

He had just taken place behind the big desk when he saw a familiar face: it was a devoted customer, a guy with red hair and dangerously sharp teeth. He knew his name very well, because he had checked his ID card multiple times, and it was Rin Matsuoka.

\- Hello, Mr. Tachibana!-, the guy said, smiling, - I’m here to return this book-, he added.

\- Hello! Sorry, but I have to check your ID card, you know, the same routine as always-, Makoto replied.

 

\- Do you want to borrow something else?-, he asked, after checking everything and taking the book.

\- Actually... I haven’t chosen yet-, the redhead replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

\- Well, take your time-, the other said, politely.

As Rin walked away, checking the bookshelves for something interesting to read, Makoto started to think about him and the fact that they saw each other so many times, but they never talked outside the library and they didn’t know anything about the other.

He found out that he was curious about him; he seemed a nice person, someone you want to hang out with. He would be able to find his phone number on the library’s records, but what if he started to think that he was a creeper or something like that?

While he was lost in his thought, Rin approached him again, and he said:

\- Sorry, but I haven’t found anything, I’ll come another day, bye-, and he walked away, without giving Makoto time to reply.

That was strange. Rin had never left the library without any book and, now that he thought about it, he seemed very strange and a little embarrassed, in fact, after returning the book he never dared to look him in the eyes again.

“Why would he behave that way?” he thought as he noticed that there was something between two pages. It was probably a note written by the redhead or just a bookmark; it certainly hadn’t be a part of the book itself. He had to contact Rin and return it to him, if it was really his.

He knew that he shouldn’t have looked at what was written, but he was too curious to resist. He recognised immediately Rin’s handwriting, thanks to all the times that he had to look at his signature while borrowing or receiving back a book. There were a lot of cuts, but he was still able to read. It said:

“Hi, Mr. Tachibana! I would be very happy if you want to hang out with me, sometimes. You can use the phone number on the library’s records to contact me.

I’m looking forward your answer.

Rin Matsuoka”

After reading this, Makoto turned completely red, embarrassed, but he tried to act normal in order to not make anyone worried about him.

In the end, he really got to use the library’s records.


	3. Werewolves AU, Soumako

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto shook his head in amusement. Although he was not only a werewolf, but also the alpha of his pack, Sousuke would still complain about something like that. So childish…

\- Stay still-, Makoto ordered while treating Sousuke's injuries.

\- Jeez, Makoto, I'm fine, it's just a scratch, I'm a werewolf, I recover quicker than common… ugh! – the other tried to reply, but he interrupted himself when the other applied the disinfectant, ignoring his objections.

\- It stings!- he shouted, instead.

 

Makoto shook his head in amusement. Although he was not only a werewolf, but also the alpha of his pack, he would still complain about something like that. So childish…

 

- Don't say anything-, Sousuke ordered, like he had understood what he was thinking, -if something stings, it doesn't matter if you are a common wolf or an alpha, or even a human-.

\- Then you should be more careful, next time-, Makoto retorted, with a serious tone in his voice.

\- It's not my fault. I would rather not fight, but I have to maintain my position-, Sousuke replied, calm.

 

It wasn't the first time that a similar scene had happened, in fact the younger members of his pack had recently started to challenge him to become the new alphas.

It was something that never happened before, and neither Sousuke nor Makoto could understand why they were behaving that way; the former was starting to think that it was his fault, that he wasn't good enough anymore to guide his pack, and only the latter's support was stopping him to give up his role.

 

Makoto sighed; he was in a tough position too, being the alpha's mate, and he felt so powerless.

\- Everything will be fine-, he said, trying to sound confident even if he wasn't at all.

\- I don't know, maybe these are the signs that it's time for me to leave my place-, Sousuke replied.

It could have been possible to distinguish a little shade of sadness on his face; he loved his pack very deeply and he would have done everything for them, but now that they were rebelling against him he felt a little betrayed.

He gave them everything and what he got in return?

 

He shook his head, he didn't want to think about that. Maybe they just wanted to test their ability in order to become stronger, but they were so ferocious during the fights, like he had never seen before…

\- Sousuke? Sousuke, are you listening?-, Makoto's voice interrupted his thoughts.

\- Eh? Sorry ... I wasn't-, he admitted.

The other let out a sigh and said:

\- I was telling you that you should reunite the pack and talk about this situation, if we don't do anything something bad will happen!-.

His touch on Sousuke's injured shoulder tightened a little, but it relaxed as soon as he realized that he was hurting him.

\- Sorry-, he said, leaving his hand to fall on his side, but it was taken by Sousuke's one.

\- You're right-, he said, with a little smile on his lips, - But for now we should rest. It's already late and tomorrow will be a tough day-, he added.

\- I still have to finish to treat your injuries!-, Makoto objected.

\- Let me take care of you, please-, he added, making such a face that it wasn't impossible for Sousuke to refuse.

\- Do what you want, what a pain-, he muttered, trying to sound annoyed.

\- Thank you-, the other said and, after giving him a little kiss on the check, he added:

\- No matter what will happen tomorrow, I will always be with you-.

That was everything Sousuke needed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I got this prompt I didn't even know anything about werewolves, so I hope I didn't fuck up too much.


	4. Sherlock AU, Sourin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a perfect day for a marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, before somebody tries to kill me for making this AU, let me explain how I got this idea: it all started from a dream I made, with Sousuke and Rin. It was snowing and the only thing I remembered was that Sousuke said, at one point, "in the end, it's always you, Rin".  
> I really wanted to used this dream to write something, but I didn't know how to fill all the blank spaces that I didn't remember. Then one of my followers pointed out how the phrase Sosuke said was similar to the one Sherlock says in the third season, at John's wedding, and that gave me the inspiration to write this.

“What a perfect day for a marriage”, Rin  thought, sarcastically, as he looked at the snow falling from the sky. It was like someone up there didn’t want him to get married.

“Well, too bad, because it’s totally going to happen today anyways”, he added, before starting to get prepared.

When he finished he looked at himself at the mirror; the white suit fit him well, even if the jacket was a little too long for his tastes. He wasn’t sure if he should have tied his hair, but eventually he decided to not do it.

As soon as he found himself good looking enough, he left his room and he went downstairs, where there were his sister Gou and Ai, his best man.

As soon as they saw him, their eyes brightened.

\- Oh brother, you look lovely! - Gou exclaimed, hugging him.

\- I’m sure he will love it- Ai added, smiling.

Rin hoped that he was right.

 

Meanwhile, in the church, Sousuke and Momotarou, his best man, were waiting. The former was very nervous, even if he did his best to not show it.

Was that the better thing to do?

He really loved Rin and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, but he was afraid to involve him too much in his job. He had a lot of enemies, he wouldn’t have been safe.

However, thinking better, it was also true that he was already involved enough, being the official blogger of his cases and his assistant. Or maybe it would have been better to say “companion”? “Mate”? How did people exactly define it?

 

\- Stop that, Sou-, Momotarou said.

\- I’m not doing anything- he replied, ignoring on purpose the nickname “Sou” which the other insisted to call him by.

\- You’re making a scary face-, he boy said, scratching his head, - I bet you’re thinking dirty things about Rin-.

\- I’m not like you- Sousuke answered, looking at him coldly.

Their beautiful conversation was interrupted, however, by the arrival of Gou, Ai and… Rin.

Momo didn’t waste any time and greeted Gou very blatantly, before remembering that he was in a church and shut himself up.

Sousuke hadn’t said anything; he was too enchanted by Rin. He was beautiful; he couldn’t even believe that he was real.

His eyes met the other’s and he faintly smiled; his doubts had vanished, he knew that he was doing the right thing.

 

The ceremony went well, there wasn’t any interruption and it had even stopped snowing.

Now they were in a luxurious restaurant, for the party. Ai did a very moving speech about the just married couple’s qualities and about how they helped him get over his insecurities and find his place in the world.

Momotarou, instead, spent a lot of time revealing funny stories about the two of them.  He had been so detailed that Rin suspected that he had been helped by Gou, and a gaze between the two siblings confirmed his suspects.

Sousuke didn’t say anything, apart some thanks to the guests for their presence and how it made him feel overwhelmed.  It wasn’t very much but, knowing his natural behaviour, it was enough.

 

Sousuke was outside, in the garden. It had started to snow again, but he didn’t really mind.

Although a part of him wanted to dance with the others, inside the dance hall, he preferred staying there; he had to clear up his mind.

He couldn’t help but to think about the first time he met Rin. It was at Saint Bartholomew’s laboratory, and he was making some experiments; at first he saw Tachibana enter, followed by a redhead he hadn’t met before.

He still didn’t believe in love at first sight but he couldn’t deny he had felt something strange when he saw him.

He deduced everything he could about him and his need of a flatmate to not be a burden to his sister who gave him his phone; it was just to show off, like he had always done, and he proposed to look for a flat together, because he was in a similar situation too, and he left without giving him any chance to refuse. How smart of him.

 

When they solved their first case together something started to blossom between them.

Sousuke was very nervous, and excited at the same time, about having a friend and, now that he thought about it, he was also his first real friend, excluding his red fish, even if he didn’t know if he should count it as a friend, since it was an animal.

 

Everything was going great; their relationship was improving day by day, until the damned Hazuki stole the Crown Jewels.

Of course, everything was planned, he and colleague, Haruka, had worked very hard to create a plan to capture that bastard, but it went too far and he had to fake his death to everyone, even Rin.

He had to do it, for the sake of his safety, but that didn’t make it less painful for both of them.

 

He had to survive -because none could have called that “living”- in East Europe; he risked his life so many times he had lost count, and he still had the scar on his right shoulder to remind him about it, but he carried on; he had to, for Rin, for the mere hope to meet him again.

 He had been his light, his reason to keep on.

 

When he “came back to life”, he had expected Rin’s anger and he was prepared to hear something like “I will never forgive you”, or “don’t you dare show your face in front of me ever again”. What he didn’t expect was him starting to cry in front of him.

\- I’m so angry with you!-, he had shouted, holding him tightly, - So, so, so angry!-.

After a moment of surprise, Sousuke had returned, hesitant, the hug.

\- I know-, he had murmured, - I know-.

Of course, it took some time to Rin to entirely forgive him. He did it once the other finally took courage and revealed him the reasons behind his actions and he confessed his feelings for him.

At first he didn’t know how to deal with it, because he loved him too, but it took time and a lot of patience in order to make everything work.

It had been worth it, and now they couldn’t have been any happier.

 

\- I know you were here-, a voice said, snapping him back to reality.

\- Rin-, he simply replied, without even looking at his now husband, who was coming closer to him. He didn’t mean to be rude, but he hated when someone interrupted his thoughts; he was forced anyways to look at him when he put himself in front of him.

\- Why you aren’t with the others? You said you wanted to dance! - he asked.

\- I just wanted some time alone… to think- Sousuke replied.

A spark of fear spread in Rin’s eyes as he murmured:

\- Sousuke… Are you regretting this?-.

\- What? No!-, the other immediately exclaimed.

How could he ever think about something like that, not after everything they went through. Well, thinking about it seeing his husband staying all alone, instead of enjoying himself at his marriage’s party, thinking about something, with a serious expression – he couldn’t see himself, but he was pretty sure he was wearing a pretty serious face- didn’t probably help either.

\- I would be an idiot if I regretted what wanted so hard since so much time, wouldn’t I?- he added, hoping that this could calm down the other.

\- Thank God- he, in fact, sighed in relief, -so, what’s the problem? What were you thinking about?-.

 

At first Sousuke was about to change subject, but, considering his partner stubbornness, he decided to tell him the truth; how bad could it be?

\- You. I was thinking about you-, he said, without looking at him.

Rin chuckled a little, delighted, and he poked the other, teasing him:

\- It’s always me, right?-, he laughed.

Sousuke just smiled as he took Rin’s hand.

\- I’m cold, let’s go inside-, he justified himself.

\- I knew it, you just can’t wait to show your dance skills!- the other exclaimed, smirking.

\- You bet- Sousuke replied as they both entered in the building, laughing like two kids.

He couldn’t see anything apart Rin’s smile, everything had lost importance to that simple thing which made his heart melt every time, and he couldn’t help but to drag him in a passionate kiss, not caring that they were near the dance hall and someone could see them.

 

 

_In the end it’s always you._


	5. Zombie Apocalypse AU, Harurin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin nodded, and he weakly smiled too. He was feeling warm again; maybe, with Haru on his side, he would have been able to live again.

They made it; they didn’t even know how, but they were able to reach a safe zone. That didn’t mean that they were completely safe, but at least they were inside a building which was definitely better than being on the streets.

There were a lot of refugees, like them, waiting to be transferred on a safer country; the governments had decided to make everyone evacuate and to drop bombs on Japan hoping that it would have killed all the zombies and been the end of that damn plague.

Of course, they had to be checked in order to prevent the spread of the virus, so it would have taken some time before they could actually escape from that hell.

 

On the third day of their permanence, both Haru and Rin had been judged suitable for moving. Both of them were extremely relived about it; all they wanted in that moment was to go away and to forget what happened, the friends that they had lost...

That, in particular, was effecting Rin in a very negative way: he had problems sleeping, he grew more distant and silent and he couldn’t even eat.

Haru was aware of the change in his friend’s behaviour, but he had thought that it would have passed: he just needed time to accept what had happened, then everything would have been right again.

However, Rin’s conditions had worsened, and seeing the only alive person who was dear to him so desperate was hurting Haru too much; he wanted to do something to help.

 

They were at the refectory, and Rin had taken a seat in front of the othe.  Their eyes met, but it didn’t felt like Rin was looking at him; he seemed to stare at a blank space, thinking about the previous days, Haru guessed. He couldn’t cope with that view, though; he was the shadow of his former self.

\- Hey, Rin-, he called out in order to get his attention.

\- Hey-, he answered.

At least he had talked, that was already something.

\- What were you thinking about?-, Haru asked, trying to start a conversation.

The other was startled by that question; he had actually wanted to avoid that subject, so he just replied:

\- Nothing important-.

\- You’re lying-, Haru stated, starting to eat his meal.

It wasn’t much – and there wasn’t mackerel in it-  but he wasn’t in condition to complain; it was already difficult to find uncontaminated food there.

Rin didn’t follow his example; he hadn’t eaten anything and yet he didn’t feel hungry, he couldn’t feel hungry. The only thought of his dead friends was enough to make him reject everything; he didn’t want to feel worse; however he was feeling very weak and the scent of the food was tempting his empty stomach. Of course, Haru didn’t fail to notice it.

\- If you’re hungry, you should eat-, he said.

Rin shook his head.

\- I’ve already eaten-, he lied.

\- You haven’t-, the other stated.

\- Mind your own business-,  he eventually retorted. He didn’t want to involve Haru in this, he just wanted to stay at peace with his mind which was rather difficult given the situation.

\- You aren’t all right, this is my business too-, Haru said, - I can’t let you do this to yourself-.

\- It’s not your fault, it’s just...- Rin tried to answer, but he was feeling like crying and he didn’t want to be seen like this by the other.

He stood up and walked away; he didn’t know where to go, but anywhere was better than there.

 

He didn’t go very far when he felt something, actually someone, grabbing his arm; it was Haru.

\- Let me go!-, Rin exclaimed, trying to break free from his grasp, without succeeding.

The other didn’t let him go and he dragged him to an more isolated place so they could have talked without anyone disturbing them.

\- Rin, you must stop this-, Haru said, after a moment of silence,- don’t you see? It’s bad for you!-.

\- I know, I know, but I can’t help it!-, he exclaimed with an exasperated expression.

Tears streamed from his eyes, no matter how hard he was trying to control himself. It had been too much to him, he couldn’t cope with it. He closed his eyes and let a deep sigh; his shoulders started to shake violently and he cried for all those days he didn’t.

Haru didn’t say anything, he just hugged him and let him vent; he knew he needed it. Then, when the other’s tears had finally stopped to come out, he gently cupped his face, making possible to him to look in his eyes.

\- You’re alive-, he said, - and so am I. We only have each other, now, we must take care of ourselves-.

\- I understand that it’s tough for you, it’s the same for me too. But we have to keep living, we have to do it for our friends-, he added.

Rin weakly nodded but he wasn’t fully convinced. There still were questions floating in his mind, and he didn’t know how to answer: did he deserve to live? Shouldn’t he be dead like all of his friends? Why was he alive and others not?

\- I’ll help you in every way I can, but you must have some resolve-, Haru said since the redhead wasn’t going to talk.

\- What would they think if they saw you like this?-, he added, referring to their lost friends.

That statement surprised Rin. He hadn’t thought about that. Well... they wouldn’t surely have wanted to see him like that.

He had to live even for them, who couldn’t anymore.

\- I don’t know if I can-, he admitted, scared, then he added:

\- You won’t abandon me, won’t you?-

\- Of course not-, Haru answered, a faint smile on his lips, hugging him, - I’ll never leave you, I promise-.

Rin nodded, and he weakly smiled too. He was feeling warm again; maybe, with Haru on his side, he would have been able to live again.


	6. Hunger Games AU, Souharu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe the odd are in our favour.

Even if it was night, Haru was wide awake.

He had met another tribute right after that day’s fallens’s display and they had agreed that a fight would have only drawn unwanted attentions – and Haru wasn’t really sure that he could win against a tall, muscular young man with a hatchet- so they decided to make a truce just for the night.

Of course that didn’t mean that they automatically trusted each other; the atmosphere was really tense and they were both struggling to stay awake and vigilant, fearing a betrayal. At first, the freezing cold was helping them, but at that point it was becoming dangerous: Haru was starting to feel dizzy and moving his legs was getting difficult. He gave a look to the other tribute and, even if he had a sleeping bag, he was visibly trembling.

None of them dared to light a fire, fearing that it would have revealed their position.

 

Maybe that would have been how they died, Haru thought and he was feeling strangely comforted – he would have been finally free from that barbaric game- even if he would have made Makoto, and the other friends who were cheering for him, sad.

His thoughts were interrupted by the other’s deep voice.

\- This cold is killing me, come here-, he said.

\- Why should I?-, Haru answered, sceptical.

\- We can share body heat, I don’t think there are other ways to survive this night-, he replied.

 

It made sense but it could have been a trap; none could assure him that he hadn’t hidden his weapon in his sleeping bag, ready to kill him.

The tribute sighed like he had understood what the other was thinking; he pointed at the hatchet, which was near him, then he opened the sleeping bag and kicked his weapon away, leaving it out of reach.

\- I don’t have intentions to harm you, see? - he said.

The temptation of a warm spot was so strong that eventually Haru gave up, even if he wasn’t very comfortable about it. He slowly pulled closer and he slipped into the sleeping bag.

He felt crushed by the other’s massive build and it took some time to adjust, but it wasn’t that bad; at least it was warm.

 

\- Who are you?- he asked to distract himself from the exhaustion; he wasn’t so fool to think that sleeping in a situation like that was a good thing.

\- Sousuke Yamazaki, District 7-, the other answered.

\- Haruka Nanase. District 4-, Haru said, not sure if he actually wanted to know it.

\- Is someone watching you?- , the tribute asked.

\- It’s none of your business-, he immediately answered, knowing that surely the cameras were focused on them. He didn’t want Capitol to know about his dear friends who were watching him at home.

\- Fair enough... – the other said without anger; he understood plenty how he felt because he was feeling in the same way.

 

Their proximity felt almost comfortable, like they could forget where they were, what they had to do, like they could act like two friends on a trip, even though friendship was very dangerous in a situation like theirs.

They didn’t talk anymore, but they slowly got closer and closer to the point that Sousuke’s arms were wrapped around Haru’s waist and the latter was curled up on his chest. Maybe they were searching more warmth, maybe some comfort; they weren’t sure themselves.

 

Some time had passed and Haru was convinced that Sousuke was asleep; his breath was regular and he wasn’t moving a muscle. He didn’t want to ruin that peaceful moment so he didn’t say anything.

“You could kill him”, an interior voice told him, but he shook that thought out of his mind; he wasn’t that kind of person who was capable of such horrible acts, he wasn’t going to betray the other’s trust. Maybe he would have regretted it, but he wasn’t going to kill him.

Listening to Sousuke’s regular breath was strangely calming, and Haru too slowly slipped into slumber’s embrace.

 

When Sousuke woke up, Haru wasn’t there. He cursed himself; he had let the exhaustion overcome him, but he was also relieved that nothing had happened while he was sleeping.

Actually, he was surprised to be still alive: if he had fallen asleep with someone else nearby he would have never woken up.

It was overwhelming and all, but he couldn’t lose more time thinking about it, so he quickly gathered his few belongings and he noticed something. There was a pack under a tree, near him and it didn’t take long to him to realise that it was from a sponsor.

He frantically opened the box; inside there was a thermos full of water and some fresh bread, which was good since he was starving.

He hadn’t expected that sleeping with another tribute to survive the cold would have helped them – he guessed that Haruka got something too- not that he was complaining, but it made him wonder what Capitol’s residents had in mind.

He drank some water and ate something, leaving the rest form later and, as he left that place, he wished the best to the strange tribute he had met.

 

If he died, he hoped that at least Haruka would have been able to win.


	7. Zombie Apocalype AU, Soumako

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- You know, I envy you-, Makoto surprisingly said, - you are always so sure about everything, so determined, I wish I had the same resolve-.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story doesn't necessarily have to be correlated to the other one about the zombie apocalypse. You can either read this as a prequel of the previous story or as a completely different one.

They had finally found a place to rest: an abandoned house far from the street.

They had no idea about what happened to its previous owner; maybe he was safe in another place, or he was dead.

\- We don’t need to waste time thinking about this, let’s go inside and lock the doors-, Sousuke, who had taken the role of leader of the group, said and Makoto, Rin and Haru, who were with him, nodded.

Their safety came first, they would have made assumptions later.

 

Night came and Haru and Rin were asleep on a couch in the living room. They had been lucky to find a house almost not damaged; they even found some food, which was good since they were running out of provisions.

Sousuke and Makoto had decided to let the other two rest while they stayed awake in case something happened. Now they were sitting near the door; the former was reloading his gun while the latter was watching him in silence.

\- What is it?-, the raven haired teen asked, once he had acknowledged the others gaze on him.

\- ... Nothing-, he replied.

\- Liar-, Sousuke said, but he didn’t press further. If there was something bothering him he was going to spit it out sooner or later.

 

\- I’m worried-, Makoto said, breaking the silence.

A lot of time had passed and Sousuke had almost forgotten about their previous conversation – well, it couldn’t actually be called like that– and he wasn’t expecting him to talk at all, at that point.

\- Who isn’t-, he said, trying to take some weight off the other’s shoulders.

He had made his mission to protect everyone and he was sure Makoto shared his same goal, so he understood how he was feeling.

However, even though their chances of survival were minimal, they had to believe they could make it, or else they were already dead.

\- I know... I just hope everything will be fine soon-, Makoto said, sighing.

\- It will-, Sousuke reassured him, trying to sound convincing, - ...it will-.

 

 

\- You know, I envy you-, Makoto surprisingly said, - you are always so sure about everything, so determined, I wish I had the same resolve-.

That statement threw the other off guard – he hardly believed to be worthy of that admiration – but still he felt pleased and... flattered to hear that.

\- Well...- he started to say, - it would be much worse if you weren’t with me, you put me at ease-, he admitted, shifting his gaze to his gun; at that moment, it was easier to look at that inanimate object than at Makoto.

\- I-it’s nice-, he added, - I would probably be a lot more gloomy if I was alone-.

The other looked at him, surprised, and then he smiled.

\- I’m relieved. At least I’m helping you, somehow-, he said.

Sousuke smiled back; he was tired but looking at his face was making him feel better.

 

\- Hey, Makoto-, he called, after a moment of silence.

\- Yes?-, the other answered.

\- Well, when we’ll get out from this hell... would you like... you know...-, he started to say, before being interrupted by Rin, who apparently was awake and couldn’t wait a goddamn second to join them.

\- Hey guys, did something happen?-, he asked, rubbing his eyes.

\- No, weren’t you sleeping?-, Sousuke laconically said. Really, he couldn’t have chosen a worse time to show up.

\- I woke up a few moments ago...-, he said, confused by the other’s harsh behaviour, -... so I thought that I should let you rest a bit-.

\- How kind of you, Rin!-, Makoto said, - then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go. I’m very tired...-, he added, yawning.

He stood up, but then he remembered of what Sousuke was trying to tell him.

\- Oh right! What did you want to tell me, Sousuke?-, he asked.

\- Nothing important, I’ll tell you another time-, he said, but for some reason he looked bitter.

Makoto shrugged and he reached the couch, but since Haru was still all over it, he decided to sleep on the floor to not disturb him.

 

 

\- Soooo, Sousuke, my friend-, Rin said, as soon as the two of them were alone, - did you finally ask him out?-

\- No, thanks to you-, the other answered, flicking his forehead.

\- Oh... sorry-, he apologised.

If he had known it he would have stayed away from them.

He was dealing with Sousuke’s feelings for a long time now, always encouraging him to talk to Makoto about them and to ask him out, trying to break the other’s oppositions – in fact he believed that it wasn’t a very good time for such declarations- and he had finally convinced him to try, but he had managed to ruin everything.

Now it would have been even more difficult to convince him to try again.

 

\- Ok, I owe you a cola-, he said, - when this will end we’ll go drinking together, and then you will confess to Makoto-.

\- No, you owe me more than just on cola-, Sousuke replied, but eventually he had to agree with Rin.

The end was close, he could feel it. Then, he would have talked to Makoto.


End file.
